Google Nexus 7

The war is on for the most sought-after tablet on the market, and the differentiation between the front-runners appears now, more than ever, to be strikingly high. What we've got from Apple is the iPad Air, a new far-smaller iteration of the same Retina display as the 4th generation unit. From Google there's the Nexus 7 (2013), a low-priced high-powered Android tablet manufactured by ASUS. Microsoft's competitor in the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 works with Windows 8 and Windows 8 RT, making this battle a three-way fight between operating systems right off the bat.

It's time to have a peek at Android 4.4 KitKat in its dualing near-complete edition for the masses on a Nexus 7 tablet from 2013. This version of Android is shown with a couple of clues as to its origins, the first being a glimpse of the software's single Easter Egg, one similar to each previous version of Android in its access through a hidden tap in a Settings menu deep within the device. Here you'll find the codename "Android KeyLimePie" sitting below a rather obviously referenced Nesle logo - saying Android instead of the candy company's original title.

Fear not, you completists hoping to work with only Google-made accessories for your Google-made Nexus devices: the 2013 Nexus 7 now has an official flap case. This case goes by the simple name Nexus 7 Case (2013) and features a "custom-molded" body to fit the newest edition of the Nexus 7, working with a "microsuede" cover and built-in stand abilities.

The first thing you're going to need to understand about the tablet called NVIDIA Tegra Note is that it's not going to be released like SHIELD - it's headed to market like an NVIDIA graphics card would. This tablet will be brought to market by hardware hard-hitters like EVGA and PYN Technologies, taking Project KAI to a proverbial new level with what NVIDIA describes as a "complete platform" rather than "just the hardware" as the original Nexus 7 was (essentially). And we've seen this device before, in an early teaser at Computex - we spotted you, you sneaky beast!

The LTE version of the latest Nexus 7 slate disappeared from the Google Play store yesterday, with it being listed as "Not for sale at this time." Following that earlier today was a tweet from Verizon stating that the tablet wasn't part of their lineup, not allowing it to be activated, and now it has reappeared in Google Play, this time with an AT&T SIM option.

Today the folks at Verizon product support have tipped off a bit of an oddity with the previously multi-carrier Google Nexus 7 (2013). According to a Verizon Wireless Support twitter reply, the Nexus 7 is not part of their lineup and therefore cannot be activated. According to annoyed customer Jeff Jarvis, entering a Verizon store to activate the Nexus 7 results in the company showing no record of the device at all - again, suggesting that therefore, the tablet cannot be activated or work with Verizon 4G LTE. UPDATE: You'll now find an AT&T specific model in Google Play (added just this afternoon) as well as an LTE version with no specific carrier attached: Verizon is still MIA.

The latest iteration of the Nexus 7 tablet went up for sale in July, and a couple weeks later we saw hints that the LTE version of the tablet would be arriving soon. Now the availability of the Nexus 7 with 4G LTE from the Google Play Store has been announced, as well as its upcoming availability in T-Mobile stores.

In today's obligatory unveiling video of the new Android statue for Google's lawn full of statues of desserts, a new Google smartphone has appeared. This may very well be the next-generation Nexus device as it does indeed have the word Nexus written on it - though in a bit of a cut with what may be some black tape over the logo for secrecy. This device looks to be replicating the look (and perhaps the feel) of the 2013 edition of the Nexus 7, what with its massive back-facing camera land and horizontal logo (which is also massive).

With the success of tablets like the Google Nexus 7 seeing a second generation here in 2013, it would appear that the pressure is on for not just processor manufacturers but display panel makers to optimize their lower-end. With the creation of NVIDIA's Kai strategy was laid the tracks for the miniature freight train that was the ASUS-made Nexus 7 - low cost, perfectly usable for fun and entertainment, and distributed through the web. Now it would seem that it's time for display makers to take their turn.

Unless what we're seeing this morning is a test model not meant for public consumption, it would appear quite likely that the Nexus 7 LTE is coming to stores imminently. This multi-carrier 4G LTE iteration of the 2013 reboot of the Nexus 7 works with a solution created by Qualcomm to connect with a massive cross-section of 4G LTE bands both in the USA and internationally, making it possible to deliver a single SKU - a single model, that is - that will accept SIM cards from any one of a number of carriers. This model is the one showing up in hands-on photos in China today.

While the 2013 reboot of the Google Nexus 7 has received its fair share of positive reviews in its first weeks on the market, a set of consumer complains have been called to attention. The first of these lives in the GPS realm, users hoping to play with Google's several Google Maps-related apps or - bafflingly - to use the tablet as a GPS navigation device for their vehicle - have found location services to be on the fritz. Also summoned this week is a complaint on the 2013 Nexus 7's touchscreen.

Google's new Nexus 7 tablet is garnering a fair bit of complaints from users who are reportedly having problems using GPS navigation with the recently launched slate. Complaints are lighting up forums across the Internet, including over on Google's own product forums, all of them sharing the same story: GPS works fine for X amount of time, then begins endlessly searching.